The Rise and Demise

A post about baseball? Yeah, I’m throwing a change-up… Let’s talk about two surprise teams in Major League Baseball this year…

The Washington Nationals have displayed more talent and consistency this season than they ever have since the franchise moved to the D.C. area in 2005. Their fan support has sky rocketed, ticket prices have increased, and the Nationals are finally a competitive baseball team. They are in first place in the National League East.

Just as surprising as the Nationals’ dominance is the disastrous season that the Philadelphia Phillies are having at the bottom of the same division. The Phillies won the World Series in 2008 and have won the NL East each of the last five seasons. But this year the Nationals are on pace to win not only the NL East but the pennant too, while the Phillies are currently tied for last place in the division.

The biggest difference between these two teams is age. The Nationals have young guys with barely any Major League experience dominating many of the veterans both at the plate and from the mound. The two obvious examples are nineteen-year-old outfielder Bryce Harper and twenty-four-year-old starting pitcher Steven Strasburg.

However, the Phillies rally around the veterans in their dugout. Two of the Phillies three best pitchers, Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee are thirty-five and thirty-three respectively. In fact, most of the players on the roster are over thirty years old. The Phillies roster has an average age of thirty, the fourth highest in the League. Washington’s average age is twenty-seven, the sixth youngest team in the League.

Very few people were expecting that the Washington Nationals would be in first place in the NL East. Nobody thought they would be the best team in the entire League. Strasburg has pitched remarkably as he is 13-5 with a 2.90 ERA. Harper has definitely brought a spark to this team, becoming the second youngest player to make the MLB All-Star Game. In his third year at shortstop, Ian Desmond has come out of nowhere and has belted a career high 17 homeruns in just 89 games. The Nationals are the first team to notch seventy wins this year and have been by far the most consistent team in baseball.

The Phillies on the other hand, will not win the NL East for the first time in six years. Many injuries have prevented their stars from having productive seasons. Starting pitcher Cole Hamels is the only guy on this team who has performed at a high level this year. The rest of the team has immensely underachieved.

Five-time All-Star second basemen Chase Utley has played in only 34 games this season due to injuries and his production is way down since he returned to the line-up. His career average is .289 but this year he is hitting just .246. He usually belts 20 to 30 homers a year and has represented his team in the Home Run Derby. But this season, Utley has just eight homeruns.

Unfortunately for the Phillies, slugger Ryan Howard has been even worse. Howard is also a former All-Star who has participated in the Home Run Derby. He led the League with 58 homeruns in the 2006 season and was awarded the National League Players Choice Player of the Year. He has hit more than 30 homeruns in each of the past two seasons and led the League in RBI’s in 2009. However, Howard has only played in 27 games this year and has just six long balls. His batting average is also significantly down. He is a .273 career hitter but this year he is hitting a dismal .215.

Long time Phillies fan Michael Miller had this to say about his team’s performance this year: “The most disappointing aspect of our season was the fact that it never began. After Howard went down on the last play of last season, and Utley in the off-season, it never felt like we had a shot.” The Phillies will be playing meaningless baseball to finish off this disaster of a season.

On the contrary, Nationals fans are not used to rooting for a team in the postseason hunt. Washington has not made the playoffs since the franchise moved to D.C. seven years ago. When they were formerly the Montreal Expos, 1981 was the last time that the organization experienced a playoff environment. Billy Hamilton, a graduate from American University (located in D.C.) and an avid Nationals fan, says, “It is hard to believe. I love baseball but never had a team to cheer for when it really mattered. The Nats have finally made D.C. relevant in the baseball world. I have never seen so many fans wearing Nationals gear.”

Now that Jayson Werth is back from injury and the team has acquired Kurt Suzuki to start at catcher, the Nationals are more of a threat than they have ever been. Werth had hit over 20 homeruns in each of the past three seasons before he got injured earlier this year. With his power back in the lineup, and the upgrade at the catcher position, no team wants any part of the Nationals come playoff time.

Two injured hitters from the middle of the line-up can be all it takes to drop a team out of contention. Unfortunately for the Phillies, two of their ace pitchers have also struggled. Roy Halladay is a two time Cy Young winner. He has been considered one of the best pitchers in baseball. But this year, the eight-time All-Star has been battling injuries all year just like Utley and Howard. Halladay missed 42 games this season suffering from shoulder problems. His record is just 6-6 and his 3.80 ERA is higher than it has been in eight years.

The Nationals do not have a problem with injuries but they are nervous about their ace pitcher re-injuring his shoulder. General Manager, Mike Rizzo will most likely shut down Steven Strasburg after a few more outings to keep him fresh for the post-season. The star hurler is coming off a Tommy John surgery in 2010 and the team does not want to take any risks with the pitcher of their future. But this pitching staff is good enough to win the pennant, even without him.

In July, Jordan Zimmermann won NL Pitcher of the Month, going 5-0 with a 1.02 ERA and Gio Gonzalez is 14-6 with a 3.32 ERA. Not only is this team poised to win the pennant, but with this outstanding pitching staff, they are also on the verge of reaching the World Series.

Co-ace Cliff Lee of the Philadelphia Phillies has not had the same success on the mound that Washington’s pitchers have. Lee pitched 13 games before finally getting his first win of the year on July 4 against the New York Mets. Lee is also a former Cy Young winner but you would never know that if you had only watched him this year. Lee has the worst record he has had in his entire career at 2-6, and his ERA is 3.78 just one season after posting a career-best 2.40 in 2011.

The Phillies have simply collapsed this year. After all the struggles this team has endured, the team realized that they have no shot at making the playoffs. So the Phillies decided to get rid of Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino in order to obtain prospects and rebuild this floundering team. Pence was one of their best hitters this year batting .271 with 17 homeruns and Victorino was one of the fastest on the bases with 24 stolen bases. But the Phillies have perhaps thrown in the towel and began rebuilding for next season. “At this point, the season is over. We need to stay healthy and get our pitching staff back into shape. If we can do that, we can take back the division next year,” said Philadelphia native Elvin Johnson who goes to a few games a year.

David Murphy wrote for the Philadelphia Daily News on August 1, “It is not the end of an era, because the cornerstones are still in place. At second base, Chase Utley. At first, Ryan Howard. At shortstop, Jimmy Rollins. On the mound, Cole Hamels…” However, there are other fans that are not so optimistic. Long time Phillies fan Jesse Douds had this to say, “It’s over. We had a good run but this year was pathetic. I think we’re all washed up.”

The Nationals on the other hand have never had so much excitement surrounding their ball club. According to George Washington University student Brian Donnelly who lives in D.C. “All people talk about is baseball. I think the people of Washington are pumped up because we actually have a good team. The Wizards are terrible and the Redskins are even worse. We want to win and the Nationals may be able to win it all.”

Is this season a fluke? Or could this be a changing of the guard? The Nationals look to be serious and don’t look like they’re going away anytime soon. In contrast, the Phillies have a lot of work to do in order to contend for the division next year. The Nationals have many budding stars while the Phillies have some aging All-Star veterans that would like to make a World Series run next year. As of now, the NL East belongs to the Washington Nationals.

*All Stats are as of August 11

 

 

 

 

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The Road to Brooklyn

Jay-Z’s dream has finally come true. For the first time in six years, the formerly New Jersey Nets are a playoff caliber team representing Brooklyn, New York. The Nets made many changes during this off-season. Not only did they change their home state/city, uniform, and logo, but they also made some colossal modifications to the roster.

Re-signing Deron Williams was critical. Without him, this team would be nothing. He is the glue that holds the whole team together. Williams led the team last year with 21 points and 9 assists per game. He also set a franchise record scoring 57 points in one game!

D-Will was extremely close to joining the Dallas Mavericks and teaming up with NBA champion Dirk Nowitzki. However, D-Will had a change of heart when Brooklyn’s aggressive management re-signed Gerald Wallace and acquired Joe Johnson.

Johnson is incredibly versatile on the offensive end of the court. Last year in Atlanta, he averaged 18.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. He also is an incredible shooter averaging two three-pointers a game and shot 39% from beyond the arc!

The Nets may perhaps have the best backcourt in the league. Johnson and Williams are elite players at their respective positions and the young and talented Marshon Brooks is a great asset to have coming off the bench. Brooklyn was also able to sign back-up point guard CJ Watson from the Chicago Bulls.

While the Nets have secured a remarkable backcourt, they were also able to re-sign seven-foot-tall Brook Lopez and power forward Kris Humphries, a rebounding machine. This rounds out the top five when you include Gerald Wallace at the 3. Let’s take a look at the projected starters.

PG Deron Williams SG Joe Johnson SF Gerald Wallace PF Kris Humphries C Brook Lopez

Lopez is primarily a scorer and is a great offensive presence for the Nets down low. He may not be the best defender or rebounder but Wallace helps make up for it as one of the best all around defenders in the league. And Kris Humphries is an absolute beast on the boards averaging 11 rebounds per game last season.

With Brooks, Watson, and newly acquired Reggie Evans coming off the bench, the Nets will be a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference. With the two All-Stars in the backcourt, the Nets are capable of making a serious playoff run. They are one solid big man away from being championship contenders.

The Knicks might have a little competition this year. For the first time in NBA history, these two teams will be competing for the best team in the state. And the Nets home opener is against none other than the New York Knicks. Let the rivalry begin!

 

 

 

 

 

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The Knicks Need More

The Knicks have made many moves this off-season to become a contender in the Eastern Conference. The expectations are higher than they have ever been as the Knicks seek their first title in over thirty years. The way I see it, the Knicks still have more moves to make if they want to compete with the Miami Heat. Lets compare the projected starting lineups.

New York Knicks                Miami Heat

Raymond Felton                  Mario Chalmers

JR Smith                            Dwyane Wade

Carmelo Anthony                LeBron James

Amare Stoudemire              Shane Battier

Tyson Chandler                  Chris Bosh

A lot of this season will depend on how well Amare Stoudemire can play. We all know that Melo will be the same guy he was for the United States Olympic team and that Tyson Chandler will continue to be a powerhouse defender. But there are many questions surrounding Amare who had an injury plagued season in 2011 and has not been able to prove that he can play with Carmelo Anthony. This is the make or break season for Stoudemire. He averaged eight less points last season than in the 2010-11 season. STAT needs to turn that STAT around and start hitting his jump shot if the Knicks have any chance of making a playoff run.

And what about the point guard position? For a while, New Yorkers believed that Steve Nash would be the starting point guard. Then it was Jeremy Lin. Fans thought there was no way that management would let the big hit Linsanity leave New York City. They were wrong. Raymond Felton is the starting point guard with Jason Kidd backing him up.

Felton is 28 years old and has the potential to be a great distributor on the court. When he played with the Knicks in 2010, he had career highs with 17 points and 9 assists per game. Since then, his numbers have decreased but unfortunately his weight has increased. He was definitely looking a little chubby last season in Portland.

But if Felton can get back into shape and start nailing his jump shot, the release of Jeremy Lin will not seem as crazy as most people thought. Lin struggles with turnovers way more than Felton and Raymond’s pick and roll style meshes quite well with Stoudemire according to the 2010-11 season. Felton could actually be a good fit for this team.

The problem for the Knicks is depth and three-point shooting. It’s not so much that the Knicks lack depth, but the Heat are just an incredibly deep team. The best three-point shooter in the history of the National Basketball Association is the BACK-UP shooting guard for the Heat. Ray Allen was part of the big 3 for the Celtics and yet now he is coming off the bench for Miami! Udonis Haslem is the second string power forward even though he would start for most teams in the NBA. He is a great rebounder and defender making him a great asset to have off the bench. Proven sophomore point guard Norris Cole will chip in some minutes for the much-improved Chalmers. And the Heat were able to bring in another veteran three-point shooter in Rashard Lewis.

With so many lights out shooters on this team (including Mike Miller if he is healthy), they will be almost impossible to defend. Every time Wade or LeBron drives to the lane, one of these guys will be wide open for the three. The Knicks do not have enough firepower to keep up with the Miami Heat if they do not make a few tweaks.

New York does have a great back-up center in Marcus Camby but until Iman Shumpert comes back, the starting five will have to lead this team throughout the regular season. Jason Kidd will most likely split minutes with Felton and the Knicks best shooter Steve Novak will come off the bench. Other than that, this team has a bunch of guys that have no value. The Heat are much deeper and they have better shooters. Not to mention, LeBron James is the best player in the league.

I believe that the Knicks need to make more moves right now. Carmelo and Tyson are in the prime of their career and it is time to surround them with as much talent as possible. I know that is what the organization is trying to do, but I think there are more free agency signings and trades that could be made.

The Knicks definitely need a solid power forward coming off the bench. Right now they are pursuing Kenyon Martin. If they get him, it is a huge bonus. But if K-Mart decides to sign elsewhere, who will back up the aging Stoudemire? If they could, I would say that New York should trade the former All-Star but I don’t think any team would be willing to take on his lucrative contract. So what should the Knicks do?

They could sign a guy like Ben Wallace who is an old veteran that can still play solid defense. However, I think having Wallace and Chandler on the floor at the same time would decrease New York’s offensives efficiency substantially. That is why the Knicks need Kenyon Martin or even a guy like Matt Barnes who can play defense and shoot. He is more of a small forward but Carmelo could always move to power forward. Another option is to sign free agent Josh Howard who averaged 20 points in 2007-08. Although his numbers are in a steady decline, he is 32 years old and still has something left in the tank.

The Knicks are without a doubt a top five team in the Eastern Conference. This year it is crucial for them to shoot for the #2 seed in order to avoid playing the Heat until the Eastern Conference Finals (assuming they make it that far). Iman Shumpert could not come back soon enough and I believe that the Knicks need to go after guys like Kenyon Martin or Matt Barnes if they want be considered a serious contender.

Right now I have the Knicks finishing as the 4th seed but if they make the right moves, who knows what could happen? The regular season is full of unknowns. Maybe some minority bench player who has been cut from multiple teams will come out of nowhere becoming the best player on the team and start an entire movement? Hey, it’s happened before…

 

 

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Money Matters

After acquiring Steve Nash, Dwight Howard, and Antawn Jamison throughout the off-season, the Los Angeles Lakers have a $97,740,731 payroll. This is an absolutely outrageous number. The only team that is even close to this sum is the Miami Heat, and they still spend $15,000,000 less.

Kobe Bryant is the highest paid player in the NBA and is set to make $27,849,000 this year. After this season, Bryant will be going into his last year remaining on his contract in which he is getting paid over $30,000,000!

After finalizing the four team trade today, the Lakers will pay Dwight Howard $19,261,200 for just one season. After that, Dwight will be free to test the market if he chooses to. However, Los Angeles seems confident that Howard will re-sign with the team after being in a championship environment. So between Bryant and Howard, the Lakers are spending just about $47,000,000.

After several trade rumors surfacing these past few years, Pau Gasol has somehow managed to remain in Los Angeles. He is going into his second to last year on his contract and is slated to make exactly $19,000,000. This means that the Lakers pay $66,000,000 for their top three players! That is more than many entire teams including the Charlotte Bobcats and Toronto Raptors. And that is more money than the big three in Miami will make this year.

In a surprise move, the Lakers were able to acquire Steve Nash in a sign and trade deal with the Phoenix Suns. The Lakers will pay him $8,900,000. Nash is a key component to a championship roster and arguably one of the greatest point guards of all time. He may be aging, but this guy can still ball and is definitely worth the cash.

Rounding out the starting five is most likely going to be Metta World Peace (formerly Ron Artest) who will make $7,258,960. This means that Los Angeles is spending about $82,000,000 on their starting five. That is just about the entire pay roll for the Miami Heat! But the Lakers need a bench, don’t they?

Back-up point guard Steve Blake will make $4,000,000 this upcoming year and fellow point guard Chris Duhon who was just acquired in the blockbuster deal will get paid $3,680,000. They also owe Jordan Hill 3.5 million dollars. And the Lakers managed to sign Antawn Jamison for just the veteran’s minimum, which is a great deal for Los Angeles. They needed a good 6th man and luckily Jamison was willing to sign for the minimum to play with a contender.

With a couple other reserves on the team, this brings the Lakers payroll to over 97 million dollars. With the talent that the Lakers have, and the amount of money they are spending, they will be a serious contender for a championship.

I believe that the Lakers have emerged as the best team in the entire NBA. The Thunder and Heat may have something to say about that, but the Lakers are poised to win another ring. For the Lakers, it is championship or bust and with an aging roster, they are built to win NOW!

But if the Lakers come up short, they will PAY the consequences…

 

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Hey Dwight, Meet Nash and Kobe

The Los Angeles Lakers have instantly become favorites to win the championship. They are officially the best team in the NBA, better than the Miami Heat. Yes, I said it.

On Thursday night, four teams agreed to a deal that will send Dwight Howard to the Lakers. As of now, this is what the deal looks like:

Lakers: Dwight Howard

Philly: Jason Richardson and Andrew Bynum

Denver: Andre Iguodala

Orlando Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Nikola Vucevic, Moe Harkless, and one protected future first-round pick from each of the other three teams.

Other names may emerge by the time the deal is finalized, but the Lakers have pulled off the unthinkable. First, it was Steve Nash. And now, they have the best center in the league. The Lakers might be the first team in NBA history to have four All-Stars in their starting line-up! Are you kidding me? Here is the projected starting line-up.

PG: Steve Nash, SG: Kobe Bryant, SF: Metta World-Peace, PF: Pau Gasol, C: Dwight Howard

This is absolutely ridiculous. This is unreal. This is crazy! The Lakers have three future-HALL OF FAMERS in their starting lineup! I know I picked the Thunder as the #1 seed in the West but the Lakers are my new top seed in the Western Conference.

Not to mention, the Lakers still have depth with Antawn Jamison, Steve Blake, and Jordan Hill. After watching Kobe yesterday against Australia, I think it is safe to say that he is still an elite player in the NBA. With the addition of Nash and Howard, the Lakers will be a dominant force.

This is the perfect mix for a championship. The Canadian has the ability to get Dwight and Kobe their touches while managing to keep Gasol happy. Pau will definitely have to agree to take on a smaller role but I think that will lead to a higher efficiency rate.

LA now has two elite veterans in the backcourt and the 26 year old down low in the paint. The Lakers have improved in every single category over this off-season. Dwight Howard will help lead the Lakers to another championship.

 

 

 

 

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Kobe is back and LeBron is still really really really good!

After having an atrocious last few games in the Olympics, Kobe Bryant was able to find his killer instinct. He had a pretty awful first half with just two points and a couple turnovers. The second half was quite different.

Australia went on an 11-0 run to start the third quarter and the Americans appeared to be in trouble. Clinging to just a six point lead, Bryant was able to make his first three pointer of the game. On the very next possession, Kobe stole the ball giving the United States a fast break. He pulled up from beyond the arc and nailed another three.

Australia was forced to call a Timeout, which presumably would slow down the “Black Mamba”. But Kobe was not done. Just about halfway through the fourth quarter, Bryant made four three pointers in a row in just a fifty-six second span! That was the dagger!

After the game, Kobe was asked what helped him get out of his ten quarter slump. He said that he got angry. When asked if he was angry about playing Argentina next, he responded, “Livid.”

But I respect the Australians performance. Australia was able to stay with the Americans for three quarters. They were only down fourteen going into the fourth and they had it down to six at one point in the third quarter. Back-up San Antonio Spurs point guard Patty Mills led the team with twenty-six points. But Team USA just has too many All-Stars and LeBron James is one of them.

LeBron was absolutely masterful even though he only converted three field goals. He had his first triple double in Olympic history! James scored 11 points, 11 assists, and 14 rebounds. Might I add that he also did not record even one turnover! He did it all.

LeBron’s performance was riveting and he was seeing the court just as well as Magic Johnson did back in the day. There were two plays where James was on the wing and was able to find a three-point shooter in the weak side corner for wide open buckets. He is so big that he has the length to pass it over the defense. James also had a spectacular pass in the first half when he placed the ball perfectly through the defender’s legs finding Carmelo Anthony who got the “and one”.

James is 6’8” but was running around the court like he was Steve Nash in his prime. And at the same time, he was able to lead the team with fourteen rebounds including three on the offensive end of the court. I used to hate “King James” but I just cannot dislike the guy anymore. He is amazingly talented and is the MVP of this Olympic team.

So after a sluggish first half, Team USA was able to trounce Australia 119-86 and move into the semi-finals. Lithuania was close to defeating the Americans earlier this week but they lost to Russia earlier today. So at this point, only a miracle could stop Team USA from winning the gold medal.

 

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Team USA Tested by Lithuania

So let me get this straight… Team USA beat Nigeria by 83 points two days ago. Today, Lithuania was beating us in the 4th quarter? With six minutes left, we were down by 2?

Linsa Kleiza (Toronto Raptors reserve player) led the Lithuanians with 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. Martynas Pocius (who does not even play in the NBA) had a great all around game scoring 14 points, dishing out 6 dimes, and grabbed 7 rebounds. All of this production came against some of the greatest players in the world and most likely, half a dozen future Hall of Famers. Lithuania gave America a true scare.

Now some of you might be thinking that the United States must have played an absolutely terrible game. And yes, they certainly underperformed, but this game was all about how well the Lithuanians played together. Lithuania shot an unbelievable 58.5% and 43.8% from beyond the arc. Team USA shot a mediocre 44.3% from the field and 30.3% from the three-point line.

“We can play better offensively and defensively, no questions about that,” Krzyzewski said. Well yeah, I sure hope we can. This was not the talented Spaniards. This wasn’t even France or Argentina. This was Lithuania! No disrespect to the Lithuanians, but I was just not expecting them to play us hard until the very last whistle.

LeBron James was able to lead the team on a 17-10 run to end the game and the Americans won 99-94. Notice, I used the word “lead”. LeBron James is officially the leader of this team. Not Carmelo, not Durant, and not Kobe Bryant. This is LeBron’s team and he proved it in the fourth quarter scoring 9 of his 20 points.

The Americans improved to 4-0 and have their last preliminary game against Argentina on Monday. Then, its do or die… Lets hope we don’t draw Lithuania as our first opponent.

 

 

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Welcome Home Marcus!

Ten years after leaving New York, Marcus Camby has finally come home. The 6’11”, 235 pound center will play his 17th season in a Knicks uniform under the bright lights of Manhattan. The 38 year old is a huge defensive presence in the paint and is one of the greatest shot blockers of all time. Dikembe Mutombo is the only other player to lead the League in blocks three years in a row.

After playing three seasons for the UMass Minutemen and breaking all sorts of school records, Camby was picked second in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors. Although Camby had some amazing moments in college and was named the College Player of the Year in the 1995-96 season, he also had some bad ones. While still a college student, he accepted money from agents hoping to represent him once he played in the NBA. He also accepted other forms of payment such as rental cars and jewelry.

But after being drafted by the Raptors, Camby was able to move forward in his career. Although he did not win Rookie of the Year, Marcus was one of the five players named to the All-Rookie 1st team. And in his second year in the NBA, Camby averaged 3.7 blocks, the most in the League that season, and his personal best.

After two solid years in Toronto, the Knicks were able to acquire Camby in a trade for the veteran, Charles Oakley. Camby was a part of the Knicks team that was the first #8 seed to make the NBA Finals. And when Patrick Ewing got injured, Camby even started three games in the playoffs.

The Knicks kept Camby until 2002 and then made one of the worst trades in Franchise history. They gave up Camby and in return got Antonio McDyess. That move didn’t quite pan out and a few years later in 2007, Marcus Camby won Defensive Player of the Year with the Denver Nuggets. Camby played in 70 games that year and was able to average 11.2 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and was the League leader with 3.3 blocks.

After another year of success in Denver, Camby was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. Marcus was not shy about voicing his opinion and was very vocal about his discontent with the Clippers organization. Camby still remained an elite rebounder and shot blocker throughout his two years in LA despite wishing that he was still in Denver.

In 2010, Camby was sent to Portland where his production began to drop. And last season, Camby was dealt to the Houston Rockets just before the Trade Deadline. Last season, Marcus averaged 4.9 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game. These numbers are not terrible, but Camby is definitely not what he used to be. But the Knicks hope to get a blast from the past and a Marcus Camby that can help improve the 18th best rebounding team in the NBA and a group of All-Stars that have trouble on the defensive end of the court.

Marcus Camby has somehow been able to maintain career averages of 9.7 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks. These are great stats for a 38 year old going into his 17th season.

The one major concern about Camby over the years has been his durability. Can he stay healthy? Marcus Camby has not played 82 games in a season ever in his career. He has only played 70 games four times in his long career and he is now more injury prone than ever at his age. But if Camby can stay healthy, he would be just about the best guy the Knicks could ask for to back up Tyson Chandler.

The last time Camby was in a Knicks uniform, he suffered a season ending right hip injury and New York decided to get rid of the big guy. Now his career has come full circle and New Yorkers throughout all the Boroughs (maybe not Brooklyn) will be hoping that he can help the Knicks win a championship, and prove to all Nets fans that the Knicks are still the best team in New York.

 

 

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Matt’s 2013 Western Conference Projections

Earlier this week I predicted the top eight seeds in the Eastern Conference next year. Now it’s time to get to work on my Western Conference predictions. Post your picks in the comment section. Let the debate begin!

#1. Oklahoma City Thunder– After last year’s loss in the NBA Finals, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook cannot wait for the season to start. With the same core of players, we should expect similar results. And with more playoff experience, I expect this young team to learn from their mistakes. The Thunder are the most talented team in the West. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are hungrier than ever, and this team still has great size with Kendrick Perkins, Serge Ibaka, and Nick Collison. Projection: 61-21

#2. Los Angeles Lakers– After a disappointing post-season in 2012, the Lakers went out and got veteran point guard Steve Nash to join Kobe Bryant in the backcourt. This team has become extremely dangerous with Gasol and Bynum down low, and the addition of Antawn Jamison. If Nash and Kobe can stay healthy, the Lakers will be a serious contender. Projection: 57-25

#3. San Antonio Spurs– The Spurs tied for the best record in the NBA last year. However, they are all now a year older, which draws some concern for Tim Duncan. Without Duncan, this team is significantly worse and I just don’t see Timmy having another spectacular year. He’ll average 12 points and 8 rebounds but wont be the same guy we are all used to seeing. San Antonio will still be a good team led by Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. Projection: 52-30

#4. Los Angeles Clippers: The Clippers look great on paper and should be able to repeat a successful season. Chris Paul is the best point guard in the League, and the big man combo consisting of Blake Griffin and Deandre Jordan, have welcomed CP3 to Lob City. The Clips have a solid back up for every single position including power forward, now that Lamar Odom has returned to the team that drafted him. If Billups and Crawford can play consistently at the 2 guard, this team could surprise people come playoff time. Projection: 51-31

#5. Memphis Grizzlies: The Grizzlies are a solid team and Zach Randolph has become an elite power forward. Marc Gasol is one of the better big men in the league, Tony Allen is a stifling defender, and Mike Conley is a solid point guard. Oh, and they have Rudy Gay too who is an absolute stud. However, the Grizzlies do not have a deep bench. My biggest concern for them is that they are not deep enough. If Memphis wants to make some noise in the post-season, they will have to lean on Gay and Randolph. Projection: 49-33

#6. Denver Nuggets: George Karl will lead another mediocre Denver team to the post-season yet again. With no superstar, the Nuggets are a great example of a team that thrives off of team work. Denver is lethal from downtown and led the league in points per game last year. But this team still needs work, especially on the defensive side of the court. Ty Lawson will have his best season yet. Projection: 44-38

#7. Utah Jazz: After losing Deron Williams, everyone assumed that the Jazz were a sinking ship. However, Utah still made the playoffs last year and I believe they will do it again in 2013. Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap are great big guys to have and the acquisition of Marvin Williams has filled the small forward position. Mo Williams will start at point guard and will have to keep the big guys involved if Utah wants to sneak into the playoffs. Projection: 43-39

#8. Minnesota Timberwolves: The Wolves had a great offense last year led by Ricky Rubio and Olympiad Kevin Love. Love is one of the best rebounders in the league and Rubio can be great assuming that he is healthy. With many up and coming youngsters on the roster such as Derrick Williams, Alexy Shved, and Robbie Hummel of Purdue, this team should be exciting to watch. And the addition of Andre Kirilenko will help the Timberwolves get past the Hornets, Mavs, and Warriors, for the last seed in the Western Conference. Projection: 42-40

 

 

 

 

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Matt’s 2013 Eastern Conference Projection

Matt’s Projected Eastern Conference Standings

1. Miami Heat– With the acquisitions of Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, and the spectacular play by the big three in the playoffs last year, I don’t see anyone coming close to defeating the Heat. Projection: 62-20

2. Boston Celtics– The Celtics lost Ray Allen, however, they also acquired Jason “The Jet” Terry, a leader and great in clutch moments. Avery Bradley seems to be a solid back up shooting guard along with Courtney Lee. The Celtics were also able to re-sign Brandon Baas and Jeff Green. Kevin Garnett re-signed and will mentor the two rookies Jared Sullinger and Fab Melo. And they still have Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo, the best playmaker in the league. This team is incredibly deep and should go far. Projection: 56-26

3. Indiana Pacers– Donnie Walsh has returned to the Pacers and I expect this team to build off of last year’s break out season. I actually believe that the Pacers will have a very similar season as last year as they did not make many moves. They re-signed 7’2” Roy Hibbert and added Point Guard, DJ Augistin. Danny Granger should lead this team to another winning season. Projection 50-32

4. New York Knicks– Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire, and Tyson Chandler. Arguably, the best front court in the league. With the additions of veterans Jason Kidd, Raymond Felton, Marcus Camby, Kurt Thomas, and Ronnie Brewer, the Knicks will have a huge amount of pressure to go far this year. Knicks fans always say, “This is our year.” Well folks, its now or never. Projection 49-33

5. Chicago Bulls– The only reason that I do not have this team up higher is because Derrick Rose is going to miss at least half the season and there is no way of knowing if he will return 100% healthy. Without D-Rose, the Bulls lost in the first round to the Sixers last year and barely put up a fight. Boozer and Noah are solid, but the Bulls offense runs through Rose, and without him, this team will struggle. Projection: 45- 37

6. Brooklyn Nets– the Nets will make the Playoffs their first year playing in Brooklyn. With Deron Williams, Brook Lopez and Gerald Wallace signing long term contracts, this team is going to be talented for a long time. All-Star Joe Johnson has left Atlanta and has joined Deron and the Nets. With Marshon Brooks off the bench and Kris Humphries at Power Forward, this squad should be very deep and fun to watch. Projection: 44-38

7. Orlando Magic- They may have a lot of controversy, and they may lose Dwight Howard before the trade deadline, but for now, you can’t count them out. Projection: 42-40

8. Atlanta Hawks- Although they lost Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams, they still have Josh Smith and Al Horford. They won’t be as good as last year, but they will still make a push for the Post-Season. Projection: 41-41

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